ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
CURZON ASHTON (0) 0
played on Tuesday, 20 December 2022 at 7.45pm
SUMMARY:
A strong Altrincham line-up dominated most of the evening but could only beat Renshaw once when Mullarkey scored at the back post after an Osborne shot had been parried (72 mins).
Colclough and Conn-Clarke were the most impressive forward players for Alty, though Mullarkey's runs up the right were also a feature of the game.
Curzon barely troubled Ollie Byrne, despite the hard work of Craig Mahon in the visitors' midfield.
SCORERS:
- 72 mins: Toby MULLARKEY (ALTRINCHAM 1 Curzon Ashton 0)
REFEREE: Mr scott Jackson
ATTENDANCE: 705
TEAM NEWS:
Altrincham fielded a strong eleven but their plans were amended just before kick off when Osborne was summoned off the pitch seven minutes before kick-off time. He emerged in place of Lundstram who had been named in the starting eleven.
The Nash fielded a number of ex-Alty men in Hancock, Hampson and Peers.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Oliver Byrne, 5. Toby Mullarkey (c), 26. James Jones, 6. Lewis Baines, 2. Eddy Jones, 4. Isaac Marriott, 28. Elliot Newby, 11. Ryan Colclough, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 9. Jordan Hulme, 10. Elliot Osborne. Subs: 8. Josh Lundstram, 18. Ben Pringle, 21. Matt Gould, 17. Brad Jackson, 23. Jake Cooper, 30. Marcus Dinanga, 35. Connor Jennings.
CURZON ASHTON (Pink shirts with black diagonal stripes, white shorts, pink socks): 1 Chris Renshaw, 3 Connor Hampson, 4 Marcus Poscha, 5 Devan Matthews, 8 Sam Walker, 9 Tom Peers, 10 Josh Hancock, 11 Will Hayhurst, 17 Jordan Richards, 21 Craig Mahon, 22 Adam Barton. Subs: 7. Ryan Hall, 12 George Waring, 13 Josh Ollerenshaw, 14. Ben Braithwaite, 26. Harry Jessop.
BACKGROUND:
This FA Trophy match had been postponed on the previous Saturday owing to a frozen pitch.
REPORT:
The game got under way three minutes late, possibly as a consequence of the late replacement of Josh Lundstram in the starting line-up, with Elliot Osborne taking his place after the warm-up.
And it was to be Osborne who had the first meaningful shot of the game as he forced Renshaw to beat out his well-struck 25 yard effort. Alty continued to press in the opening stages without creating another clear opening before a low Mullarkey cross led to a home corner (8 mins).
With Conn-Clarke and Colclough both looking lively Altrincham continued on top and, after an impressive run by the Fleetwood loanee, Hulme forced another save from Renshaw (13 mins).
Next Mullarkey and Newby combined for a Conn-Clarke wffort which unfortrunately struck a team-mate and was diverted for a goalkick (17 mins). The one-way traffic continued largely unabated before Newby got into the box and, instead of shooting at gaoal, he passed to Julme who forced another save at the cost of a corner to the hosts (25 mins).
From the corner Baines had a free header but he got it wrong and directed the ball well off target. Soon afterwards Conn-Clarke was fouled just outside the front edge of the box but the freekick was hurried and ame to nothing (26 mins)> A Mullarkey shot was now blocked as Alty maintained their pressure past the half-hour mark.
But then Curzon had a better few minutes before half-time with a Hampson throw and a Hancock pass leading to a Peers shot which was saved (42 mins).
However, there was still time before the break for Colclough to cut inside and win the hosts a corner and, in the one added minute before the interval, Colclough won a freekick but hit it badly over the bar (45+1 mins). So, for all their possession and attacking dominance Altrincham left the field with the score still goalless.
Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 |
Alty started the second half well with a rasping Colclough shot tipped away by Renshaw (47 mins).
And it was Colclough again who fired in a superb shot from twenty yards, shortly afterwards, which the busy Rensahw imnpressively tipped onto the crossbar, with a corner resulting (54 mins).
At this stage Alty were laying siege to the Nash's goal before another Colclough effort was lashed over the bar (56 mins). Alty were playing with a better tempo in the second half but still lacked the final touch in front of goal.
Next, a mesmerising run by Conn-Clarke took him past three challenges into the box before Renshaw again saved his effort (62 mins).
There was some rare acion for Byrne at the other end when Curzon counter-attacked and forced a routine save. But normal service was soon restored as Alty won two corners, the second coming when Renshaw yet again did well to tip a curling shot from twenty yards, by Colclough, over the bar (64 mins).
Finally the breakthrough arrived in the 72nd minute when a multiple-pass move set up Osbrone for a shot from inside the box. Renshaw stopped it but the ball ran to the back post where the incoming Mullarkey converted it for his fourth goal of the season.
Curzon responded well, winning their first two corners of the night (73 and 75 mins), the second arriving when the hard-working Mahon saw his shot from twenty yards tipped over the bar by Byrne.
At the other end another marauding run by Mullarkey saw him lay the ball across the goalmouth but Conn-Clarke was narrowly unable to reach it for a tap-in at the back post (77 mins).
Less happily, Mullarkey was booked soon afterwards for a poor challenge (81 mins).v Two more Curzon changes followed as Waring and Hall replaced Hayhurst and Walker and, for Alty, Pringle came on for Osborne (82 mins).
Curzon won a corner just before four added minutes were decreed but Alty held on to their lead both before and after Jennings had come on for Hulme (90+3 mins).
Alty have a home tie in the next round against wiether Wrexham or Scunthorpe United.
Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 |